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2019 Toyota Prius Road Test and Review

The Toyota Prius is easily the best-known hybrid vehicle in the country. When you think of a hybrid, chances are the Prius is the first thing that pops into your mind. But despite that the Prius is so well-known, there is competition growing — with options ranging from sedans to SUVs to performance vehicles. Even a popular car like the Prius needs to keep up to stay relevant.

This year, the Prius gets a refresh that includes a renamed trim range, updated styling, and the addition of a key new feature: For the first time, it is available with all-wheel drive to conquer winter weather. Here’s a closer look at the 2019 Toyota Prius.

The Prius shows off a modest styling update.

There are some cars that are instantly recognizable, and the Toyota Prius is on the list. Its design has always been one that people either love or hate, but there’s no denying it has a unique, unmistakable look. When the current fourth generation of the Prius was introduced, it got a bold update with more aggressive angles. It was a big departure that was intended to create a sporty, modern vibe, but this isn’t exactly a sports car. This year, Toyota dials it back a notch.

It still looks like a Prius — how could Toyota ever truly ditch the original design? — but the sharpest angles are gone. Especially around back, where it was downright busy before, the Prius has a softer silhouette that’s more appealing. It looks a lot like the Prius Prime plug-in hybrid, bringing the two vehicles in line with each other.

It doesn’t feature any powertrain changes this year.

There’s a new look and new features, but under the hood the Prius is unchanged. Power still comes from a 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine with two electric motors paired to a continuously variable automatic transmission. It has 121 total system horsepower, which, let’s face it, isn’t an impressive number. If you’re buying a Prius because you’re looking to set blistering lap times and enjoy the thrill of mashing your foot on the gas, then you’ll be disappointed.

The good news is no one buys a Prius for its performance. You buy a Prius for its fuel economy, so performance takes a perfectly acceptable backseat. Despite that low horsepower number, the Prius has enough get-up-and-go to easily merge into highway traffic. It delivers extra power when you need it for high-speed passing, and the continuously variable transmission is mostly muted and won’t intrude into the cabin and disturb passengers.

The big news is all-wheel drive that makes the Prius ready for winter.

The major change to the Prius for 2019 is the addition of AWD-e as an option. This is something that’s never been available on the Prius and is a welcome addition for those who live where it snows. Toyota estimates the all-wheel drive model will be so popular it’ll account for up to 25 percent of Prius sales in the U.S.

The all-wheel drive system in the Prius doesn’t require a center differential or a torque-apportioning device. It also doesn’t need a front-to-rear driveshaft. Instead, the “e” in AWD-e stands for “electric,” and this is how the Prius delivers all-wheel drive capability: It uses an independent, magnet-less rear motor to power the rear wheels from 0 to 6 mph and, when needed, at speeds up to 43 mph. Using AWD only when it’s necessary helps the Prius maintain its great fuel economy.

Fuel economy is still tops, even with AWD.

Along with adding capability, all-wheel drive adds extra weight. This reduces fuel economy, but it’s only a small reduction in the Prius. The front-wheel drive Prius L Eco, which is the base trim, gets a Toyota-estimated 58 mpg in the city, 53 mpg on the highway, and 56 mpg combined. The rest of the front-wheel drive lineup gets 54 mpg in the city, 50 mpg on the highway, and 52 mpg combined.

Choose the all-wheel drive Toyota Prius and there’s only a slight drop in fuel economy. It gets a Toyota-estimated 52 mpg in the city, 48 mpg on the highway, and 50 mpg combined. This makes it one of the most fuel-efficient all-wheel drive vehicles in the country. The slight reduction in fuel economy will be worth the cost when you’re facing the next big winter storm.

New trim names match the rest of the Toyota lineup.

In an effort to improve simplicity and clarity, Toyota got rid of its old naming conventions for the Prius and renamed everything to match the rest of its lineup. Last year's numeric trim names are gone, replaced by the L Eco, LE, XLE, and Limited. The L Eco, which is your fuel economy champ, comes in with a price of $23,770 and fewer features, while the top Limited trim raises that price to $32,200.

While you can get front-wheel drive in every trim, if you want the new all-wheel drive Prius, then you have your choice of only the two mid-range trims. There’s the LE, which is priced at $26,380 and the XLE, which comes in at $28,820. You unfortunately can’t get the base model with all-wheel drive, but offering the system in the middle of the pack and not just on top models keeps it affordable for tighter budgets.

Toyota Safety Sense P is standard on every Prius.

The number of advanced safety features on today’s cars is constantly increasing. This is a good thing, but often those features are only available on top trims or as part of expensive option packages. Toyota makes Toyota Safety Sense P (TSS-P) standard on every Prius, including all-wheel drive models. This suite of safety features includes pre-collision with pedestrian detection, a lane-departure alert with steering assist, automatic high beams, and full-speed dynamic radar cruise control.

There’s also a safety feature designed to protect pedestrians. While you can hear a car when its engine is running, you can’t hear it when it’s a hybrid that's operating only on its electric battery. To help make sure inattentive pedestrians don’t miss the Prius, it sounds a unique tone in select circumstances, so pedestrians and cyclists aren’t caught unawares. As for crash tests, the Prius received an overall five-star rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

It can hold plenty of cargo.

It can be a challenge to stuff a sedan full of cargo, but the Prius isn’t a sedan — despite how it looks at first glance. This is a five-door hatchback, so it offers both more cargo room than a sedan and greater flexibility for carrying large or awkwardly shaped items. With the 60/40 split-folding rear seat in place, there’s up to 27.4 cubic feet for cargo through that easy-access hatchback.

Flip the seats down and cargo capacity expands with up to 65.5 cubic feet of available space. That’s an exceptional amount of cargo room that easily beats most full-size sedans. It’s also easier to load than a sedan or crossover since you don’t have to lift heavy cargo up over the edge of the trunk or up to the higher load floor of a crossover.

It’s tech-savvy, but there's still no Apple CarPlay or Android Auto.

Toyota only just started offering Apple CarPlay in some of its vehicles with no availability of Android Auto. Unfortunately, neither is available on the Prius, but it’s still a tech-savvy car. It comes standard with Entune audio featuring a 6.1-inch touchscreen, AM/FM/CD, six speakers, a USB port, and Siri Eyes Free. An upgraded audio system is available on the Limited trim with a 10-speaker JBL audio system, navigation, and an 11.6-inch touchscreen.

The Prius also has a fully featured instrument cluster with customizable screens that include a new all-wheel drive indicator. There’s a wealth of information about the hybrid system with an energy monitor, hybrid system indicator and eco score, eco savings record, drive monitor, eco diary, and climate control. These features help you see how efficiently you’re driving and serve as something of a coach to help you get the best fuel economy possible out of your Prius.

Final Thoughts

The Prius gets a mild update this year with one big change coming from the addition of all-wheel drive. If you live where it snows and wanted the fuel economy of a Prius but weren’t willing to sacrifice winter capability, now there’s a Prius for you. The one drawback is that the all-wheel drive system operates only at speeds up to 43 mph, which puts some limitations on its usefulness.

The bonus to that speed limit is fuel economy. Rather than the all-wheel drive system taking a big bite out of fuel economy, which is why you buy a Prius in the first place, it makes only a modest dent in those numbers. Combined with a more attractive design and generous standard safety features, the 2019 Toyota Prius continues to hold its own in the hybrid marketplace.